Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars.
AN: Here's chapter 21! Thanks for all the great reviews!
Burning Vendetta
Chapter 21: Locating the Plans
Bail smirked at their reaction.
"Bail, if you know how we can get a hold of the plans, then you must tell us now," Mon said. Bail smirked.
"I was going to tell Padme, before you so rudely interrupted us," Bail replied.
"Just spill it, Organa," Obi-Wan snapped.
"I don't appreciate your hostility Master Kenobi. It is very unbecoming of a Jedi," Bail responded.
"Damn it Bail, tell us what you know!" Padme yelled.
"No need to yell, darling. I'll always talk to you," he replied, with a goading smirk at Anakin.
"Have you ever heard of Eriadu, my dear?" he asked Padme.
"That...it is the home planet of Grand Moff Tarkin if I am not mistaken," Padme replied.
"Very good. In the Grand Moff's palace, a copy of the plans exist in the palace database since the Grand Moff spends a great deal of time on the Death Star itself," Bail said.
"An infiltration mission to Eriadu would be much easier than trying to infiltrate the Imperial palace on Coruscant," Obi-Wan mentioned. Anakin smirked.
"And it just so happens that Padme and I are good at getting into places where we're not supposed to be," he said. Bail smirked.
"Not so fast Skywalker. You'll never get on the planet without Imperial clearance codes," Bail stated.
"Then you'll get us those clearance codes," Anakin replied.
"I don't have them, but I have an informant that does. The problem is...he'll only talk to me," Bail responded.
"And where is this informant located?" Obi-Wan asked.
"Wherever I decide to meet him. If you allow Padme to accompany me on the mission, I'll get the codes for you," Bail replied. Anakin clenched his teeth in anger.
"You're a real piece of work, Organa! Do you really think I'll let you take Padme to some random planet with you?! So you and this so called informant can, I don't know, maybe drug her again and kidnap her!" Anakin yelled.
"If Padme does not go, then you can forget the clearance codes. You'll just have to trust me," Bail sneered.
"Oh, she is going, Organa. But I'm going too and I'll be watching your every move. If you so much as touch her or even look at her wrong, I'll snap your slimy neck in half like a twig! Because don't think for a second that Padme and I cannot find another way to acquire those codes," Anakin yelled.
"So, what will it be, Organa? Will you get us those clearance codes? Or do you wish to rot in a prison cell for the rest of your days?" Obi-Wan asked. Bail clenched his teeth in anger.
"I will need to be taken to a comm terminal to set up a meeting with my informant," Bail relented.
"Good choice, slime bucket," Padme spat at him. Anakin turned, as he if he was going to leave, but turned back suddenly. He approached Bail and punched him in the mouth. Bail screamed in agony, as he held his now blood filled mouth in pain.
"You piece of gutter trash! Why the hell did you do that?!" Bail screamed.
"It was for harassing my wife, you rancid sack of bantha poodoo," Anakin answered, before taking Padme's hand and leading her out.
"There he is!" he heard Dorme say, as he entered their quarters. Obi-Wan smiled and caught Han in his arms, as the little boy ran to him.
"Hello young one," Obi-Wan greeted.
"Mommy and I missed you," Han said.
"Well, I missed you too, young one. And I missed mommy also," Obi-Wan replied. Han squirmed down and in a burst of energy, he ran off to play again, as Dorme approached. She kissed him softly.
"How did it go?" she asked.
"Not as well as I would have liked," he replied. She furrowed her brow in confusion.
"I don't understand. He's a traitor and deserves to rot in a prison cell," Dorme exclaimed.
"I agree, but this traitor happens to know how to get his hands on the Death Star plans," Obi-Wan replied.
"Well, that's great. He told us how to get them, right?" she asked.
"Oh yes, but there is a big catch. We can get a copy of them from Grand Moff Tarkin's palace on Eriadu. The problem is that we need clearance codes to get on the planet," Obi-Wan stated.
"And these are codes that only Bail can get. I see where this is going," Dorme replied.
"He agreed to meet with his informant if we allowed Padme to go with him," Obi-Wan said.
"You didn't agree, did you? Who knows what Bail would try if he was alone with her!" Dorme cried.
"Relax my love. Anakin would never go for something like that. He told Bail in no uncertain terms that he was going as well. He bluffed Organa into thinking he could find an alternate way of finding those codes," Obi-Wan replied.
"But there really is no other way, is there?" she asked.
"I'm afraid not. But Organa would be foolish to try anything with Anakin," Obi-Wan replied. Dorme sighed.
"I still do not like this. Bail cannot be trusted," Dorme stated.
"Unfortunately, until we get those plans, we have no choice but to trust him," Obi-Wan responded.
"Well, he's going to be imprisoned after this mission, right?" she asked.
"No," he replied.
"What?!" she exclaimed.
"Mon Mothma and Dodonna told him that if he helped us, then he would not remain in lock up," Obi-Wan replied.
"But...they can't seriously trust him! They can't just let him wander around here like nothing happened!" Dorme cried.
"His every move will be watched very closely. Unfortunately, it seems that Mon and Dodonna still feel a bit of loyalty to him, at least that's what I sensed from them," Obi-Wan replied.
"I do not believe this. They are fools! Organa betrayed them and they were nearly killed. Yet they will scrutinize Anakin and Padme's every move," Dorme cried.
"It is unfair, I know. But I will stick up for them both," he replied.
"I know you will. I love you," Dorme said, as their lips met in a passionate kiss.
"I love you too. Unfortunately, I should probably be present when Organa makes contact with his informant. But I'll be back soon," he replied. Dorme gave him another kiss, before he was off again.
Anakin led Padme up the ramp of the Falcon and Artoo wheeled behind them.
"Okay Artoo, I need you to start checking all systems. I want to make sure nothing goes wrong on our mission," Anakin ordered. Artoo whirled affirmatively and rolled off to begin performing diagnostic checks on all systems. Padme snaked her arms around his neck and he turned his attention to her.
"I'm sorry you had to endure Organa's verbal abuse," he said. She shook her head.
"You had to endure it too. Besides, his words mean nothing to me. You, however, mean everything to me," she replied.
"I feel sometimes that he is right though. He's a King, or was. And I'm just a former slave," Anakin replied.
"And you've made me happier than I ever thought possible. I'm yours Anakin...and I always will be," Padme said, as she pressed her lips tightly against his in a hard, passionate kiss. Her lips moved furiously over his in a forceful, yet loving rhythm. He gasped for air, as she finally released his lips.
"Wow...that was some kiss," he said, noticing the seductive gleam in her eyes.
"That was for making Organa bleed. It was not in jest when I told you that I love it when you're aggressive," she said, as she captured his lips in another passionate, hot kiss, while nudging him toward the back. He broke the kiss and looked at her.
"Here, angel?" he asked.
"There is a captain's quarters just waiting for us to use it," she said, as she slowly unbuttoned his tunic, enjoying revealing his skin inch by inch to her hungry eyes. That answer was good enough for him, as he kissed her back in earnest with passionate desperation. They finally made it to the captain's sleep quarters and the door slid shut behind them...
A seedy looking character appeared on the screen in front of Bail.
"Organa...heard you were dead man," the man chortled.
"I assure you De'jak, I am very much alive," Bail replied.
"What do you want this time? Let me guess, that little wench you've been after for years slipped away again. Too bad, cuz I ain't huntin' her down for ya," De'jak replied.
"It's not that," Bail snapped, but then eased his tone.
"I need those clearance codes to get access to Eriadu," Bail replied. De'jak whistled.
"So, yur goin' after them plans, eh? The Imps drove ya out and them Rebels was dumb enough to take ya back?" he asked.
"I help them and I keep my skin. Just a business deal, as usual. Can you get me the codes?" Bail asked.
"It's gonna cost ya," he replied.
"Fine. You know I am good for it," Bail replied.
"Actually, I don't. I heard the Imps froze all yur accounts," De'jak replied. Bail's eyes widened in disbelief.
"That's right Organa, you're as poor as a sand mite," De'jak laughed. Bail clenched his teeth in anger.
"Look, I can get the credits. I still have connections. I need to meet with you and get those codes," Bail pleaded.
"Fine. I'll be in Mos Eisley for a few more days. If you ain't met with me in the Cantina within the next three days, then you can forget it," De'jak said.
"I'll be there," Bail replied, knowing his informant would not go for it if he knew there would be other people with him.
"Fine, fine. Bring me twenty thousand or no codes," De'jak replied, as the transmission ended. Obi-Wan chuckled and Bail glared at him.
"Looks like Mon is going to have to spot you the credits," Obi-Wan laughed.
"Shut up Kenobi," Bail snapped. As he said that, Anakin and Padme walked in, arms wrapped around each other's waists. They both looked considerably happy and were almost giddy, as they gazed at each other lovingly.
"Well, well, where have you two been? Or do I want to know?" Obi-Wan teased. Padme giggled.
"Oh you know, we were just...yeah, you probably don't want to know," Anakin replied.
"Bail has made contact with his informant. Apparently, he's even slimier a character than our resident traitor here," Obi-Wan said.
"He's going to give us the codes, right?" Anakin asked.
"Yes, if you meet him in Mos Eisley within the next two days. I suggest the two of you get packed and you all leave tonight after dinner," Obi-Wan replied. They nodded.
"I will go to Mon Mothma and get the credits," Obi-Wan said.
"You're not paying him, Bail?" Padme asked.
"He can't; he's broke," Obi-Wan replied, with a smirk, as he walked off.
"Broke?" Anakin asked. Bail snarled.
"The Empire has merely frozen my accounts. It is a temporary set back," Bail insisted. Padme laughed.
"Sure it is. Come on baby, let's go pack," Padme said, as she led her husband away.
After they each took a hot shower and dressed, they began packing enough things for a few days and then readied for dinner. Anakin sat on the bed, deep in thought, as Padme brushed her hair. She saw the forlorn look on her husband's face from his reflection in her vanity mirror.
"Sweetheart, are you okay?" she asked.
"Huh? Oh...yeah angel, I'm fine," he replied.
"You can't lie to me, my love," she said, as she put her hairbrush down and sat down beside him on the bed. He sighed and turned to her.
"I haven't been back to Tatooine...since, since they were killed. I told myself I'd never go back there. That place has a lot of bad memories, but I understand why we have to go," he replied.
"I'm sorry, I hadn't even thought about it being hard for you to return to that place," she said, as she brushed her fingers through his shaggy bangs. He smiled at her.
"I'll be fine. It's time for me to face my demons anyhow. And I know I can do it, because I have you by my side," he replied, as he kissed her hand. Padme smiled and kissed him, before standing up. She took his hand and pulled him up.
"Come on, I don't know about you, but I'm starved," she said.
"Well, we did work up an appetite earlier. I am starving too," he replied, as they took their bags and left their room.
Dorme hugged Padme tightly, as they stood outside the Millennium Falcon.
"Be careful, please," Dorme said in a worried tone.
"I'll be fine. You know that Ani would never let anything happen to me. And he's watching Bail's every move," she assured her.
"I know and I know you'll take care of each other," she replied, as she hugged Anakin too.
"We'll be fine, I promise. And we'll be back with those plans in hand," Anakin promised.
"May the Force be with you...brother," Obi-Wan said. Anakin felt the tears well in his eyes and hugged Obi-Wan.
"May the Force be with you too, brother," he said. He pulled away and he joined hands with his wife, as they walked up the ramp. Once there, Anakin put their bags in the overhead storage compartment. Bail was already waiting in his seat, strapped in. Padme sat down and strapped in too. Anakin kissed her quickly, before heading to the cockpit.
"Is there anything I can get you, Miss Padme?" Threepio asked.
"No thank you Threepio. You better get strapped in. Anakin will be taking off in just a few moments," Padme replied. The golden droid grumbled about space travel, but did as she said.
Dorme sighed deeply, as she watched the ship's thrusters fire and the odd shaped cruiser shoot out of the docking bay.
"I have a bad feeling about this whole mission," Dorme said, as she leaned into Obi-Wan's embrace.
"I know love, but we must trust that the Force will guide them. They'll be back in no time, you'll see," he assured her with a kiss to the forehead.
"I hope you're right," she sighed.
"Of course I am," he joked. "Now, let's go tuck our little boy in and then maybe we can cuddle on the couch together. We can watch one of those corny Holo movies you like so much," he said. She smacked his arm playfully.
"They are not corny! Well...maybe they are, but at least it's entertaining," she replied. He laughed.
"Whatever you say, beautiful," he replied, as they headed back to their quarters...
Anakin set their course and safely jumped them to hyperspace. Once it was safe, he raised the lights, indicating it was okay to move around.
"How long until we reach Tatooine," Bail asked.
"About thirteen hours. We'll be there by mid morning tomorrow," Anakin replied.
"We should probably get some sleep then," Padme said, as she took his hand.
"Where do I sleep?" Bail asked.
"There's only one cabin, so you'll be sleeping right there on that very bench," Anakin replied. Bail looked offended.
"Why do you get the cabin?" he asked haughtily.
"Because I refuse to let my wife sleep on anything but the bed. And since I am her husband, that affords me the privilege of sleeping with her, that's why," Anakin replied in annoyance.
"Don't I even get a blanket?!" Bail yelled to their retreating forms.
"Threepio, get him a blanket so he'll shut up," Padme called, before the cabin door slid shut behind them.
Anakin tossed his tunic and pants onto the chair, before slipping into his sleep pants. Padme undressed as well, before slipping into a lavender nightgown and quickly brushing out her hair.
"Are you sure it's okay to leave Bail out there by himself?" she asked. He smiled.
"Don't worry. I told Artoo to watch him all night. He won't move without me knowing it," Anakin said, as he showed her the comlink and set it on the bedside table next to his light saber. She smiled.
"You think of everything," she said, with an impressed tone. They slipped into bed together and cuddled close, as they did every night. Anakin gave her a loving kiss on her sweet lips, before they settled down in each other's arms.
"Good night, my love," she said sleepily.
"Good night, my beautiful angel," he replied. They were asleep almost instantly, both forgetting for the moment of the dangerous mission they would face tomorrow...